Assessing the impact of truth commissions in human rights development

Truth Commissions are one of transitional justice mechanisms established temporarily to uncover, document, and prevent the recurrence of past human rights violations that occurred during authoritarian and repressive regimes or periods of conflict. These commissions play a significant role in the transition to a democratic and peaceful form of governance. It is generally expected that truth commissions contribute to the development of human rights, given their establishment during the transition process. This issue has been extensively debated within the framework of human rights development. However, it is important to determine whether these commissions have a direct impact on human rights during a democratic transition process, as it is possible for advancements or improvements in human rights to occur during this period. Based on this, the aim of this thesis is to directly demonstrate the impact of current truth commissions on human rights development through their works, findings, observations, and recommendations. Additionally, it seeks to discuss their effects within the framework of transitional justice theories, specifically focusing on the human rights developments solely achieved through the commission's efforts during the transitional period. At this point, the practical impact of truth commissions on human rights has been evaluated through the examples of Chile and South Africa. In this thesis, the final reports of truth commissions have been used as primary sources, and the studies and analyses of researchers and scholars specialized in the field have also been utilized. According to the findings, it is believed that the acceptance of truth commission reports as official documents, promoting accountability, and implementing legal and constitutional reforms to prevent future human rights violations directly contribute to the development of human rights. However, based on the cases, it has been concluded that the impact of truth commissions is sometimes limited and delayed due to factors such as the powers held by the commission itself and the inadequate political support, concerns about security and stability in the country. Therefore, in order to enhance institutional functionality, certain measures and steps should be taken to strengthen the impact of truth commissions on human rights development.